Best things to do in Las Vegas

Venetian Hotel and Casino

No expense was spared building the Venetian Hotel, which aimed to recreate the city of Venice in the Nevada Desert, and the result is fairly spectacular. Guests can travel around the hotel in a gondola (real canals run through the grounds) and a replica of St Mark's Square and the Basilica turns from night to day every three hours. Visitors have to look carefully to notice that the sky is actually a vast fresco. The only things missing are the pigeons and the backpackers. The casino itself is massive, featuring something like 2,500 slot machines and 125 gaming tables. For guests taking a break from the tables, there are four swimming pools, a fitness centre, and more than 60 restaurants. One of the main attractions is Madame Tussauds Las Vegas, a wax museum presenting some of the world's biggest icons including stars, politicians, record-breaking athletes, and legends.

Website www.venetian.com

Bellagio Hotel and Casino

The Bellagio is one of Las Vegas's most opulent hotels and most popular casinos. With an Italian theme, the great bulk of the Bellagio sits in its own vast garden. It has more than 3,000 rooms and hundreds of slot machines and gaming tables. However, its best-known attraction is its amazing water show, a breath-taking union of water, music and light. Between 3pm and midnight (from 12pm on weekends) the Bellagio's world-famous fountains 'dance' to opera, classical or whimsical music with carefully choreographed movements. Beyond the Bellagio's gracious lobby lies the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, a magnificent garden abounding in fragrance, texture and colour. The hotel also has a fine arts gallery that hosts contemporary art exhibits.

Website www.bellagio.com

Valley of Fire State Park

The Valley of Fire State Park is Nevada's oldest park, and is so named because of its red sandstone formations, which look like they're on fire when the sun reflects off them. The rocks were shaped over 150-milllion years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the area. Apart from the rugged beauty of the surrounding Mojave Desert, the main attractions in the park are the well preserved petroglyphs that adorn many of the red sandstone structures, left there by the ancient Pueblo people, also known as the Anasazi. This rock art dates variously from 300 BC to 1150 AD. Visitors should head to Atlatl Rock for some of the finest examples of ancient Indian rock art or petroglyphs, including a depiction of the atlatl, which was a notched stick used to propel spears, a predecessor to the bow and arrow. Other activities here include hiking, camping, and picnicking.

Website parks.nv.gov/parks/valley-of-fire-state-park/

The Luxor

The Luxor Hotel, themed on ancient Egypt, is one of the most prominent sights on the Las Vegas Strip. It's a massive black-glass pyramid containing 36 floors of hotel rooms. Shining through it into the night sky is one of the world's most powerful light beams, which they claim can be seen by planes circling Los Angeles. The ground floor of the hotel is given over to a massive casino, which stands beneath a recreation of King Tut's Tomb. Other than gambling, entertainment at the hotel includes gyms, swimming pools, and exhilarating shows by comedians, dancers and singers. The Luxor is a Vegas landmark and one of the most popular casinos and hotels in the city.

Website www.luxor.com

MGM Grand

One of the most famous casinos in Las Vegas, the MGM Grand was the largest hotel in the world when it opened in 1993 with more than 5,000 rooms. The iconic complex houses about 20 restaurants, many shops and nightclubs, a conference centre and a spa. The MGM Grand's most famous attraction was, for many years, the glass-sided lion habitat; however, the casino closed this in early 2012 as part of an extensive renovation. Today, the MGM Grand offers the incredible Cirque du Soleil and many other exciting entertainment options.

Website www.mgmgrand.com

Mandalay Bay

The 44-storey Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino is among the largest on the Las Vegas Strip, with more than 3,000 hotel rooms and a 135,000 square foot (12,500 sq m) casino. The tropical-themed resort has a number of popular family attractions, including the Shark Reef saltwater aquarium and large-scale stage shows ranging from Broadway musicals to Cirque du Soleil productions. The most popular attraction at Mandalay Bay, however, is Mandalay Beach, an 11-acre pool area featuring three heated pools, a wave pool, lazy river, and children's pool. Voted Best Pool of Las Vegas many times by Las Vegas Review Journal readers, Mandalay Beach has its own bar and restaurants.

Website www.mandalaybay.com

Fremont Street Experience

The downtown area of Las Vegas is where it all began and the Fremont Street Experience aims to celebrate this heritage. The street is also known as 'Glitter Gulch' for the bright neon signs and thousands of flashing lights that line the streets. This is where visitors will find Vegas Vic and Sassy Sal, two of the nation's best-known neon icons. Some of the city's most famous vintage casinos are found here, including the Golden Nugget and the Gold Spike, as are most of its strip clubs and stage shows. Most entertainment is on or close by the Freemont Street Experience Mall. The Fremont Street Experience encompasses the iconic Vegas experience, giving people exactly what they expect when they think of the glitzy casino city.

Website www.vegasexperience.com

The Grand Canyon

A mile deep, 277 miles (446km) long and up to 18 miles (29km) wide, the breath-taking grandeur of the Grand Canyon is so impressive that words simply cannot do it justice. One of the great natural wonders of the world, it was formed by the cutting action of the Colorado River over millions of years, the harder rock formations remaining as great cliffs, pinnacles and buttes, and the different layers of rock possessing colours that range from purple, fiery red and pastel pink to yellow, brown, grey and soft tones of blue.

Whether by foot or on horseback, from a plane or helicopter, aboard a raft down the mighty Colorado River or by merely gazing in awe from the rim, the canyon's seemingly infinite depths can be experienced in a variety of ways. The park receives hordes of visitors from around the world, who cannot fail to be transfixed by the sculpted rock shapes, the shifting colours that change with the light and a tiny glimpse of the Colorado River far below. The Grand Canyon National Park comprises two separate areas, the South Rim and the more remote North Rim. Separated by the 10-mile (16km) width of the canyon, it's a 215-mile (346km) drive from one visitor centre to the other and the South Rim, being the most accessible with more facilities, sees about 90 percent of the park visitors.

The North Rim is higher in elevation and wetter, with thicker surrounding forests; it's further to get to and is usually closed due to snow between mid-October and mid-May, but many people prefer the comparative peacefulness of its less crowded lookouts. At both rims there are several drives and walkways along the edge with numerous lookout points for views from different angles, as well as a few hikes down into the canyon where one can overnight at Phantom Ranch on the canyon floor.

Website www.nps.gov/grca

Hoover Dam

Stretching 1,247 feet (380m) across the Colorado River, the Hoover Dam holds back the waters of Lake Mead and is a fine example of the engineering of its time. One of the world's most famous dams, the Hoover Dam was built during the Great Depression in the 1930s, and is one of many vast public works projects commissioned by the US government to get people back to work. The dam employed thousands of men from all over the country, and its hydroelectric power generator continues to supply Nevada and its neighbouring states with electricity. Engineering feats aside, the Lake Mead National Recreation Area is popular with water sports enthusiasts as well as those just after a bit of sun and relaxation.

Website www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam

Red Rock Canyon

Red Rock Canyon is a dramatic valley 10 miles (16km) west of Las Vegas, and is a good excursion to escape the neon lights and slot machines. Its defining feature is the steep Red Rock escarpment, which rises 3,000 feet (914m) on its western edge. Today, the dramatic landscape is peppered with cacti and Joshua trees, and is a good spot for walking, rock climbing, cycling or simply taking a scenic drive. The Mojave Desert is not as barren as visitors might think; it teems with rare life and beauty, with waterfalls cascading into the canyons and, high above, red-tailed hawks searching for their next meal. For a taste of Nevada's natural beauty there's no better place to explore.

Website www.redrockcanyonlv.org

Adventuredome

The glass-encased theme park of Adventuredome is the perfect attraction for thrill-seeking kids on holiday in Las Vegas. Its loop roller-coaster and other gut-wrenching rides are not to be missed. If this adrenalin rush is a bit too extreme, there are also shows by magicians and jugglers on offer, as well as plenty of treats such as ice-cream, popcorn, and candy. There are also rides and activities designed for younger kids who may not be old enough to ride the main attractions. The fact that the theme park is indoors is an extra bonus, protecting visitors from the sometimes inhospitable Nevada climate.

Website www.adventuredome.com

Grand Canyon Helicopter and Ranch Adventure

Kids will revel in the exciting experience of flying through the Grand Canyon in a helicopter and landing at the Grand Canyon Western Ranch. Once at the ranch, children will be thoroughly enthralled by horse-drawn wagon rides and the cowboys putting on a show. The western-style meal served at the ranch also goes down a treat. This family-friendly excursion across the border to Arizona is a great break from the casinos and resorts of Las Vegas itself, giving visitors the chance to experience some of the natural splendour of the region and partake in the pioneer and cowboy culture so well-loved in the US.

Website grandcanyonwesternranch.com

Treasure Island

No longer the family-friendly pirate hangout it once was, Treasure Island has revamped itself as an adult-oriented contemporary resort. Along with being home to a Cirque du Soleil show, Treasure Island offers a number of restaurants and nightclubs, such as the wild-west themed Gilley's BBQ, and Golden Circle Sportsbook and Bar. Guests can also look forward to a host of famous comedians and musicians, who regularly perform at the resort. Treasure Island is an exciting adult destination and rightly one of the city's enduring favourites.

Website www.treasureisland.com

Dig This

Dig This is a wildly popular attraction in Las Vegas that allows visitors to operate enormous vehicles such as bulldozers and excavators under the supervision of trained instructors. While the price tag is high, the experience is unforgettable, as visitors team up with other participants to complete tasks. Visitors must generally be at least 14 to operate the machines, though kids get to work a real 1-ton mini excavator to dig holes, move dirt and handle tasks like a boss of their own mini-construction site. Dig This has been voted the number one Las Vegas attraction on tourist review sites such as TripAdvisor. People of all ages get super excited by the chance to experience the power of massive machinery.

Website digthisvegas.com

Las Vegas

Things to do in Las Vegas

Venetian Hotel and Casino

Bellagio Hotel and Casino

Valley of Fire State Park

The Luxor

MGM Grand

Mandalay Bay

Fremont Street Experience

The Grand Canyon

Hoover Dam

Red Rock Canyon

Adventuredome

Grand Canyon Helicopter and Ranch Adventure

Treasure Island

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Venetian Hotel and Casino

Bellagio Hotel and Casino

Valley of Fire State Park

The Luxor

MGM Grand

Mandalay Bay

Fremont Street Experience

The Grand Canyon

Hoover Dam

Red Rock Canyon

Adventuredome

Grand Canyon Helicopter and Ranch Adventure

Treasure Island

Dig This